United States | State Department posts latest instructions for NIV and IV interview scheduling as of July 15

The State Department’s July 15 alert indicated it has “updated its instructions for all” nonimmigrant (NIV) and immigrant (IV) visa applicants scheduling interview appointments. The latest “update” shows no major changes; however, the department removed the prior lists from the respective NIV and IV pages that identified the designated processing posts for citizens/residences of countries where there is no visa processing available.

Instead, applicants are now referred to a “list of designated” processing posts for both NIV and IV applicants, which then links to the full list of NIV or IV processing posts and no longer identifies these posts in a single location.

The current NIV alert includes language under “existing appointments” that says applicants will be notified “in specific cases at specific posts” when interview appointments are canceled.

The current IV alert includes a minor language change with respect to Diversity Visa (DV) applicants. The Dec. 12, 2025, update specified that changes would be applied to DV applicants in the DV-2026 program year. The July 15 alert says, “These changes will be applied to Diversity Visa applicants in the future DV program years.”

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

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